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Bahk Eun-ji

Korea Times Politics & City Reporter

Bahk Eun-ji has been with The Korea Times since 2012, building a career across multiple desks. She began at the Business Desk, where she conducted in-depth interviews with key figures in Korea's corporate world. Later, she moved to the Politics & City Desk, focusing on education policy and social affairs. She later served as team leader of the digital content team, leading curation efforts on the newspaper’s homepage and reshaping print stories for social media audiences to enhance digital reach. Now back on the Politics Desk, she covers the National Assembly and the Ministry of National Defense, with a renewed focus on political developments.

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Politics

New Korean presidency begins in disarray amid claims of sabotage

Upon assuming office, Korea's new administration under President Lee Jae-myung reportedly found itself in a near-total administrative void, as the presidential compound in Yongsan was said to be devoid of staff, essential supplies and even fundamental work systems. While a degree of transitional friction is not uncommon during a shift in presidential power, the alleged state of the office has drawn sharp criticism from lawmakers, watchdogs and various civic groups. Some have accused the outgoing Yoon Suk Yeol administration of sabotaging the transition deliberately, with particularly grave concerns raised about the potential destruction of sensitive documents related to the Dec. 3 martial law declaration. Unlike past handovers that preserved at least minimal operational capacity, the Yongsan presidential office was “completely stripped,” officials said. Desks sat empty, printers were gone, there was no internet connectivity and security systems were shut down. No Cabinet documents or briefing materials were left behind for the incoming administration. “It looked like a war zone af

Jun 5, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
New Korean presidency begins in disarray amid claims of sabotage
Politics

Conservatives in turmoil as blame game escalates after election defeat

Following Lee Jae-myung’s presidential election win, conservatives are confronting a moment of reckoning, with the People Power Party (PPP) at a political crossroads. As the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) moves to consolidate power over both the presidency and the National Assembly, the PPP is left navigating internal divisions, a leadership vacuum and an uncertain future. In the hours after the vote, PPP presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo conceded defeat, congratulated Lee, and pledged to respect the public’s verdict. “I humbly accept the people’s decision and offer my sincere congratulations to President-elect Lee Jae-myung,” Kim said at a press conference at the party's headquarters on Wednesday. Beneath the surface, however, the conservative camp remains fractured and uncertain about its future. Within the PPP, some have blamed Kim for failing to reach centrist voters, arguing that his campaign remained confined to the party’s traditional strongholds in the southeast. Others have pointed to Reform Party candidate Lee Jun-seok, suggesting the PPP might have had a real s

Jun 4, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Conservatives in turmoil as blame game escalates after election defeat
Politics

Lee Jae-myung vows to curb executive powers

In the wake of the tumultuous Dec. 3 martial law crisis, liberal Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung vowed to implement sweeping constitutional reforms aimed at decentralizing executive authority and bolstering legislative oversight if elected, a direct response to escalating public demands for significant political change. With his election victory, Lee assumed the presidency following Tuesday’s vote, ascending to power in the wake of former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment and removal from office. This extraordinary election was held in the midst of fervent calls for political reforms, as the controversial imposition of martial law and the ensuing power vacuum laid bare critical weaknesses within Korea's presidential system. Lee has proposed shifting to a four-year presidential term with the possibility of reelection, rejecting calls to shorten the current five-year mandate. His reform agenda centers on curbing presidential powers and bolstering checks and balances through greater parliamentary oversight. Under his plan, the National Assembly

Jun 4, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Lee Jae-myung vows to curb executive powers
Politics

New president to take office without transition period

Korea’s next president, to be elected in Tuesday's election, will assume office immediately the following day, without the customary 60-day transition period, raising concerns about the government’s readiness to manage state affairs from Day 1. The situation echoes the abrupt power shift in 2017, when former President Moon Jae-in was sworn in just one day after winning the election following Park Geun-hye’s impeachment. Under Korea’s Public Official Election Act, a president elected in a by-election begins their term as soon as the National Election Commission certifies the result. This time, the commission plans to hold a meeting for the certification between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. on Wednesday. Upon the certification, all presidential authorities will be transferred to the new leader from the current acting President Lee Ju-ho, who is deputy prime minister and education minister. This legal framework leaves no room for a transition committee, traditionally tasked with policy reviews, budget alignment and personnel vetting. In the past, transition teams worked closely with ministries

Jun 2, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
New president to take office without transition period
Law & Crime

Subway arsonist faces arrest, cites divorce dispute as motive

A man in his 60s faces arrest for starting a fire in a subway train in Seoul on Saturday, allegedly out of anger over his divorce case. Police have asked the prosecution to request an arrest warrant on charges of committing arson at a public facility. The fire broke out around 8:43 a.m. inside a train traveling from Yeouinaru Station to Mapo Station on Line 5. According to witnesses, the man poured flammable liquid inside the carriage and set it ablaze. As the fire and smoke arose, more than 400 passengers escaped into the tunnel linking the two stations, with no major injuries reported. The man was detained at Yeouinaru Station around 9:45 a.m. He sustained a minor injury and was carried out on a stretcher by other passengers. Police officers interrogated and he admitted to the crime. He showed no signs of intoxication or drug use. He later told police that he acted in anger over a recent divorce ruling. Witnesses said the man showed no remorse, reportedly telling a fellow passenger who confronted him, “Well, no one died, so what’s the problem?” Officials at the fire and transportat

Jun 1, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Subway arsonist faces arrest, cites divorce dispute as motive
Politics

Spotlight shifts to Lee Jae-myung’s son as early voting ends

With just four days left until Election Day, voters headed to polling stations for early voting on Friday, which began Thursday, while political tensions mounted over renewed scrutiny over Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) candidate Lee Jae-myung’s son. Also, conservatives continued to promote what is being called a “reservoir strategy” as part of their efforts to counter Lee’s front-runner status. As of the close of early voting at 6 p.m. Friday, the National Election Commission reported a final early voting turnout of 34.74 percent, with 15.42 million out of 44.39 million eligible voters having cast their ballots nationwide. This is the second-highest early turnout rate in Korea’s election history, following the 36.93 percent recorded in the presidential election in 2022. Voter turnout exceeded 50 percent in traditional liberal democratic strongholds, including South Jeolla, North Jeolla provinces and Gwangju, while turnout in Daegu, a conservative stronghold, remained in the mid-20 percent range. Lee, who has maintained a steady lead in the polls so far, campaigned in Gangwon

May 30, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Spotlight shifts to Lee Jae-myung’s son as early voting ends
Defense

‘Stuck as private’: New military promotion rules spark backlash

Korea’s Ministry of National Defense is under fire for revising military promotion rules for enlisted soldiers. Critics argue the changes could leave some conscripts stuck at the rank of private first class (PFC) for most of their 18- to 21-month mandatory military service, costing them up to 4 million won ($2,898) in lost wages. The ministry defends the move as necessary to strengthen combat readiness in response to growing security threats. The policy’s impact goes beyond financial losses, raising concerns about morale, fairness and the principle of conscription in a draft-reliant nation. It risks fueling discontent among the young men forced to serve, eroding public trust in the military and weakening efforts to sustain a motivated, capable force. Recently disseminated guidelines to military units notably eliminate the previous two-month ceiling on delayed promotions. Under this new framework, a soldier failing to satisfy promotion benchmarks could conceivably remain at the rank of PFC for a period of up to 15 months, with subsequent promotions to corporal occurring only on the f

May 30, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
‘Stuck as private’: New military promotion rules spark backlash
Politics

Candidates clash over corruption, martial law in last TV debate before vote

Allegations of corruption and the specter of martial law dominated a fiery presidential debate, Tuesday, as Lee Jae-myung of the liberal Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and Kim Moon-soo of the conservative People Power Party (PPP) traded sharp accusations. Kim argued that calling the Dec. 3 martial law declaration by former President Yoon Suk Yeol a coup attempt before a court ruling was both premature and misleading. He stressed the importance of following legal procedures and said, “The court must decide whether it was a rebellion or not.” Kim also reiterated his long-standing opposition to martial law, citing his personal experiences under previous authoritarian regimes. Lee, in contrast, criticized Kim for defending what he described as a “coup regime.” He asked, “If sending troops to the National Assembly and stripping citizens of their rights isn’t a rebellion, then what is?” Lee also took issue with Kim’s refusal to support the National Assembly’s motion demanding that Cabinet members apologize for the martial law. Kim argued that the motion was not an appropri

May 27, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Candidates clash over corruption, martial law in last TV debate before vote
Politics

Unity or illusion? Korea’s history of last-minute electoral alliances

As calls for a unified opposition grow louder in Korea’s presidential race, one key question remains: does merging rival candidates truly lead to electoral success? From the collapse of merger talks between Kim Moon-soo — a former labor minister and current People Power Party (PPP) presidential nominee — and former acting President Han Duck-soo, a veteran diplomat and economic policymaker, to the uncompromising stance of former PPP party leader and current Reform Party candidate Lee Jun-seok, Korea’s electoral history is filled with examples of candidate unifications that have either reshaped — or failed to influence — election outcomes. With just a week remaining until the June 3 vote, the political calculus behind these high-stakes alliances is once again in the spotlight. In fact, efforts to merge opposition candidates have been a recurring feature of Korean presidential elections. Since the landmark 1997 race, when Kim Dae-jung of the National Congress for New Politics and Kim Jong-pil of the United Liberal Democrats formed the DJP coalition, unification strategies have

May 26, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Unity or illusion? Korea’s history of last-minute electoral alliances
Politics

Presidential candidates clash over nuclear policy, health insurance in televised debate

Nuclear energy emerged as a central issue in Friday’s second televised presidential debate, with sharp disagreements over safety, efficiency and long-term strategy. Liberal Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) candidate Lee Jae-myung argued against expanding nuclear power, expressing concern over its safety and cost-effectiveness. “While we cannot completely eliminate nuclear energy overnight, the era of building more reactors should come to an end,” he said. Lee called for a shift in focus toward renewable energy, including large-scale investments in solar and wind infrastructure, particularly in depopulated rural areas. “We need to act urgently to strengthen our renewable base — not just for the environment, but for our economy to survive global RE100 standards,” he said, referring to the global corporate-led energy initiative that aims to source 100 percent of their energy needs from renewables. Lee also pointed to the massive long-term costs of waste disposal and nuclear accident preparedness. “Nuclear energy may appear cheap, but when you account for what happens if something

May 23, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Presidential candidates clash over nuclear policy, health insurance in televised debate
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